The Week: March 1-4, 2010

A new month begins this week, and a new season feels like it's almost here too. The calendar includes: talks by Michael Shermer and William Cronon; live music by Jake Dilley & the Color Pharmacy, Jacqueline Schwab, Punch Brothers, and Perpetual Groove; and, an Atlas Improv anniversary party.

As legend has it, Dilley started playing lead guitar in his brother's band, a bunch of high schoolers, when he was in sixth grade. He's just as precocious now, combining his indie rock and psych-pop performances with unique video projections and other visual treats. With the Cloth Sea and Lucas Cates Band.

The pianist has contributed to the soundtracks of numerous Ken Burns documentaries, and tonight she performs a program of iconic 19th-century American music -- Stephen Foster, Civil War songs, that sort of thing.

Nickel Creek mandolin player Chris Thile has had his frisky digits in a lot of musical pies over the years. These days the progressive picker expresses his folk, bluegrass and classical sides with this terrifically talented acoustic group.

The three indie-rock gents of Eau Claire's Daredevil Christopher Wright, headliners at this bash for the local comedy group, share songs from their latest CD, In Deference to a Broken Back, and perhaps some new material. Also playing: Little Red Wolf.

Over the past few years this jam band has added more vocals and experimented with an arena-rock sound. Their keyboard riffs are evolving as well, thanks to new player John Hruby, who you may recognize from fellow jam band Guest or from his production work on recent albums by Ciara and Ludacris. With The Werks.